Launceston: the complete package, from history to cool credentials
Tasmania’s second city — and Australia’s third-oldest — has much to recommend it.
1 Tasmania’s second city — and Australia’s third-oldest — has much to recommend it, from excellent food and wine to the natural beauty of Cataract Gorge. Launceston is also blessed with well-preserved colonial and Victorian architecture, and a guided tour of the city is a powerful way to learn about its history. On an outing with Go Walk Tas, I discover that the site of Melbourne was first settled by pastoralists from Launceston, and that the gummed writing tablet was invented here. Why the Tasmanian tigers on the city’s coat of arms are in chains remains a mystery. Company owner Matt Will, who is Launceston-born and raised, and his guides pair well-researched knowledge with archival photos on disks that are popped into plastic slide viewers so you can compare the past with the present view. It’s a savvy use of retro technology; gowalktas.com.
2 Even on a gloomy day, the restaurant at Josef Chromy Wines, on the southern outskirts of the city, is filled with light, a cheerful buzz and delicious food (try the smoked confit ocean trout). The excellent service reflects the work ethic of founder Chromy, who was 19 when he fled Czechoslovakia in 1950 with nothing. He built up a smallgoods business and became a pioneer of Tasmania’s wine industry. His JAC Group is also behind several Launceston hotels and bars, and a few years ago revitalised and reopened Penny Royal, a theme park with family-friendly rides and rock climbing at the mouth of Cataract Gorge.
3 The urban oasis of Cataract Gorge, where echidnas shuffle and peacocks preen, is just a two-minute drive or 15-minute walk from the centre of town and entry is free. Locals refer to the splendid swimming pool on the southern side as Launceston’s Beach, while on the northern side is a lush Victorian garden. Don’t miss a leisurely ride on the scenic chairlift, said to feature the longest single-span section in the world. Geoff McLean, of Wallaby Walkabout Tours, is an excellent source of rollicking yarns as he takes tourists around the gorge, pairing his passion for postcolonial history with his Aboriginal heritage. He gently weaves cultural knowledge throughout the walk and ventures off the beaten track. Visitors curious to learn more about Indigenous history will find McLean, who has been a coordinator of Aboriginal studies at the University of Tasmania, an enthusiastic educator.
launcestoncataractgorge.com.au
4 You’ve walked around the gorge and crossed it by chairlift. Now it’s time to view it from the water. Tamar River Cruises runs trips up the rocky cleft and down the Tamar River and Australia’s longest navigable estuary to the Batman Bridge, with commentary from seasoned skippers. For a fun engineering tale, check out both sides of the historic wrought-iron Kings Bridge, which spans the South Esk River at the mouth of the gorge, and keep an eye out for fur seals, which bask on the rocks; tamarrivercruises.com.au.
5 Even if you’re staying elsewhere, put Grain of the Silos at Peppers Silo Hotel on your dining list. Tasmanian-born, Naples-raised chef Massimo Mele is food director and has connected his team with local growers and farmers. The menu fairly bursts with every aspect of the island state’s celebrated produce, with a generous range of vegetarian and vegan options. The cavernous open kitchen adds to the atmosphere, and it’s a fine place to catch the sunset over the river and mountains. The hotel has an adorable canine ambassador, “failed” guide dog Archie, a labrador that guests are welcome to take for a walk (a good move if you overindulge and are staying in-house); grainofthesilos.com.au.
6 The design scene in Launceston gets global attention and since 1976, the not-for-profit Design Tasmania centre has been its beating heart. Its renowned wood collection, which showcases the talents of contemporary designers in the state, has toured overseas. “We’re creating a space for people to experience design and understand how it changes our lives,” says Claire Beale, executive director. When we visit, the winners of the 2019 Design Tasmania Awards are on display, including furniture, fabric and jewellery, plus a ceramic spindle that serves as a spawning habitat for the endangered spotted handfish. The large retail space (reopening this month) is part of the state government’s innovative COLLECT Art Scheme, which covers several galleries and extends Australian residents 12-month, interest-free loans of up to $8500 to buy artworks. “You get to take it home, the artist gets paid and you pay it off over time — it’s brilliant,” Beale says; designtasmania.com.au.
7 Brother and sister Henry and Anna Terry are continuing the work their parents began in the 1990s when they established Tasmanian Truffles near Deloraine, about 40 minutes’ drive from Launceston. This is a working truffle farm, so pop on your biosecurity booties and tread carefully under the trees where the precious black gold grows. The siblings, who starred in the 2018 series of My Kitchen Rules, share truffle secrets and whip up an enormous, delicious tasting platter for lunch. Their tour is one of several on offer from Off the Table, a collection of experiences with Tassie food producers. Anna’s dog Doug (get it?) is in training to be a truffle hunter and on the day we visit he gets a big round of a-paws for a job well done. offthetable.io
8 A short drive out of Launceston brings you to Tamar Island Wetlands Reserve, an ecosystem home to all manner of birds, mammals, frogs, fish and insects. Twitchers will fluff their feathers over the accessible boardwalk as they tick off ducks, black swans, egrets, cormorants, swamp harrier and the occasional sea eagle. The interpretation centre is well set up for curious kids and binoculars are available to rent; parks.tas.gov.au.
9 We drive before dawn to the launch site with Liberty Balloon Flights’ director and chief pilot Nick Brau. He sets a helium-filled pilot balloon with a flashing LED light free and when it rapidly disappears, Brau breaks the bad news — it’s too windy to go up. Pressed for what we’re missing, Brau, who’s flown over more than 100 cities across the world, says: “We usually take off from the Tamar Valley and let the winds take us over the Esk and Tamar rivers and the Meander Valley, and land in the Northern Midlands.” We’re disappointed, but at least we have another reason to return to Launceston; libertyballoonflights.com.au.
10 BEST BEDS
For a small city, Launceston has more than its quota of luxurious places to lie your head, but the creme de la creme is undoubtedly Stillwater Seven. The accommodation sister to Stillwater, a Launceston dining institution that just turned 20, sits above the bar and restaurant. Seven individual rooms have been cleverly designed to fit into the space of the 1830s flour mill on the banks of the Tamar River. Attention to detail includes the gorgeous, local cabinetry of the pantry/mini bar, a pre-arrival checklist of guest preferences and an
all-out war on waste. Even the keycards come in origami wallets made from recycled magazines. Dogs under 15kg can join their pampered owners in the courtyard suite. Stillwater Seven’s Summer on the Tamar package includes two nights’ accommodation, dinners, a private winery tour and lunch, a wellness session in the nearby Cataract Gorge and more, for $1980 a couple.
Jane Nicholls was a guest of Tourism Tasmania and Stillwater Seven.
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